Poster Presentations Wrap Up Summer 2013 for NUOP Students

July 31, 2013 | by Michael Freedman

NUOP students stop for a photo in front of the Magdalene Project.

The 17 incoming freshmen involved in the Niagara University Opportunity Program have been participating in a five-week summer course designed to integrate them into college life, introduce them to college coursework and reading, writing and study skills, and promote personal growth.

As part of the program, the students volunteered at the Magdalene Project, a shelter for women in downtown Niagara Falls, on July 5 and then at the Heart, Love and Soul food pantry on July 21. At Heart, Love and Soul, the students prepared and served lunch and played bingo with guests.

On the afternoon of July 30, the students presented posters showcasing research they conducted on Hurricane Katrina. Topics ranged from FEMA’s response to the devastation in New Orleans to the role that music played in bringing the city back to its feet.

The poster projects were also inspired by the students’ reading of Zeitoun, a nonfiction book that tells the story of Abdulrahman Zeitoun, a Syrian-American who traveled the flooded streets of New Orleans to help displaced residents in the days following the storm.

NUOP is designed for students who have the potential for and interest in furthering their education but are not admissible under Niagara University’s standard admissions criteria. The ultimate goal of the program is to make higher education possible for students who are both academically underprepared and economically disadvantaged. NUOP is funded jointly by the university and the New York State Arthur O. Eve Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP).

For more information on the Niagara University Opportunity Program, please contact Lisa A. Rivera at 716.286.8064 or ude.aragainnull@nossawl.